


The countless stars (I hope they only shine on you)

by twiceasbriight



Series: gay demon spooky szn [2]
Category: Dreamcatcher (Korea Band)
Genre: F/F, handong as a goddess of magic, soft dadong, this definitely came from the hopeless romantic in me, yubin as prince of dreams, yubin has to prove her worth as a suitor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-13
Updated: 2019-10-13
Packaged: 2020-12-14 00:57:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21007046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twiceasbriight/pseuds/twiceasbriight
Summary: Lee Yubin, Prince of Dreams, and Handong, the aloof, arrogant Goddess of Magic have been communicating by letter secretly for the last several years without the knowledge of the Pantheon of the Ethereal Plane. They're falling for each other but have never acted on their feelings, until one day, they have no choice but to do so.





	The countless stars (I hope they only shine on you)

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to gay demon spooky szn fic number two! I had an absolute blast writing this; it was inspired by the idea of Yubin being a prince of dreams living in the stars and trying to win over Handong, an outwardly cold and distant goddess of magic with a heart of gold. It was fueled by the hopeless romantic in me, and I had such a good time getting to write something that was so different both from Come Now the Flood and Masquerade. Enjoy!

_How does a prince of dreams prove herself worthy to court a goddess of magic?_

Lee Yubin, Prince of Dreams sighs deeply, anxiety bubbling in her chest. She carefully reopens the paper in her hand, wincing slightly when she sees how she’s accidentally creased it, smudging the ink. For what has to be the fiftieth time since receiving it yesterday, she rereads the brief message hastily scrawled on the back of Yubin’s latest letter, the penmanship a far cry from its usual, elegant state.

_“My father is summoning the suitors to arrive to line up and declare themselves before me,” _There’s a short, awkward mess of letters that have been scribbled out. “_The declarations will take place in two days. Please, Yubin, find a way to declare yourself, in such a way that will make it impossible for me to refuse you, especially in front of my father.” _

Yubin brushes her thumb over the signature, a jagged _H_, and despite the rapid beating of her heart and her mild panic, she can’t help the warmth that blooms in her lungs and the smile that curves the edges of her lips at the post-script.

_“You know I could never refuse you anyway, no matter what.”_

Yubin sighs again, this time a little wistfully, and places the letter on her desk; Yubin’s own correspondence, a recounting of a human’s dream of their partner, facing down.

It’s one of what has to be _hundreds_ she’s sent in secret to Handong, beautiful sorceress and goddess of magic.

For the last several years, their communication has been limited to secret letters and rare in-person meetings, and Yubin’s heart rebels at the very idea of having to send Handong another retelling of a dream she bore witness to instead of recounting it to her herself.

Her anxiety and fear and even the Pantheon itself can all be damned to the depths of the Ethereal Plane. She _has_ to do it. All Yubin has wanted is to shout her feelings to the stars she lives among and to openly shower Handong with all the affection she deserves. This is her chance, her only chance, and she refuses to waste it. The Prince of Dreams is going to declare herself suitable to court a goddess of magic in front of the Pantheon.

_Wait,_ Yubin thinks, dread permeating the determination burning sweet at the back of her throat and warming her limbs. How _is_ she going to prove her worth? She isn’t particularly wealthy, – especially by Pantheon standards – nor does she command power over the elements or reign over beasts. She isn’t a raging giant or a vengeful god, or any sort of being whose presence unequivocally screams _worthiness_.

Stars and dreams are where Yubin’s power lies, the ability to slip into the sleeping human’s unconscious mind as easily as taking a breath; the omniscience of the capability to witness every fleeting detail and shape them to her will. It’s a fascinating ability to be sure, and there’s never a shortage of sleeping beings whose dreams she can observe. Unfortunately, it isn’t a particularly physical thing, and the Plane tends to bias shows of physical prowess.

The Prince of Dreams resides among the stars with no one to share them with, and she is _lonely._

Handong’s dry humour, outward prickliness, and the sweet, kind girl hidden away inside her are a charming combination, and her brief comments and analyses of the dreams Yubin transcribes for her have brought light into her life and endless smiles to her lips. 

Yubin’s throat swells with frustration and her fingers burn with the need to find a solution. Handong is the love of her life; she _cannot _lose her, let alone to one of the power-hungry denizens of the Plane. She sweeps the papers of her desk with a shout, scattering them into the air. Yubin is overcome with powerlessness as she watches the pages float to the floor, tearing what remains of her determination into shreds.

Yubin leans back against her desk, shoulders slumped, and stares dully at the recollections by her feet. As she does, sections of the letters begin to jump out at her.

_Choi Yoojung bursts through the clouds, chasing her love, Kim Doyeon, who soars ahead of her –_

_Kim Bora spins in the middle of a stunning field of flowers, carrying her wife, Lee Siyeon in a piggyback. Siyeon throws her arms up to the sky with joy, screaming and laughing –_

_Oh Seunghee cradles her newborn baby daughter to her chest, looking up at her partner, Jang Seungyeon, eyes radiating pure happiness – _

As Yubin’s eyes jump from page to page, her heart expands with the same feelings she’d experienced writing these dreams down for Handong: an odd lightness in her limbs, and a smile she can’t resist tugging at her lips.

And suddenly, Yubin’s determination is back, a fire kindling in her chest, warming her veins. She can’t give up, not when she has a chance at the happiness she’s only witnessed until now. She’ll have to be clever, and it’s a good thing that’s one of her strengths, because she’s going to need every bit of it.

_I deserve a chance to be happy too._

Yubin takes a deep breath, shakes out her shoulders, and gets to work.

**~ * ~ * ~ * ~**

“Dami, the Prince of Dreams.”

Yubin can’t stop the flurry of butterflies that erupt in her belly as the herald announces her name and she strides past him into the throne room.

She’s wearing her finest three-piece suit, golden circlet resting on the crown of her head, and she lets the comfort of its weight gently persuade the butterflies to calm their fluttering inside her. It’s a futile effort, though, because once she enters the throne room and sees Handong sitting on her throne, back straight and eyes cold as she looks over the crowd of potential suitors lined up in front of her, the butterflies become wyverns and take off all over again.

As Yubin approaches the line, Handong’s eyes find her, and Yubin’s breath catches in her throat. Handong is wearing a form-fitting red and gold _qipao, _long legs bare, her short, wavy blonde hair crowned with a softly glowing diadem woven entirely from magic, and Yubin nearly falls to her knees at the sight of her.

_She’s so beautiful._

Despite the murmuring of the other suitors around her, gossiping and bragging, the sounds become muted as Yubin’s focus is completely overtaken by the warmth that flashes momentarily in Handong’s eyes when their gazes meet. An invisible hand gently strokes her cheek and Yubin has to stop herself from gasping out loud as warmth blooms high on her cheekbones, goosebumps erupting in the hand’s wake.

Handong leans back in her throne, a satisfied, barely-there smirk twitching at her lips. Yubin ducks her head, hiding her blush and smile from the crowd around her, before composing herself and looking back up.

Handong’s mask has fallen back into place, eyes distant and lips tight as she surveys the mass of suitors. She signals to the steward standing in front of her throne with a careless wave of her hand. The steward pulls an extremely long list of names from a pocket and clears his throat, the sound barely audible over the crowd.

Handong rolls her eyes, flicking her fingers, and a bright green glow gathers from the air to wind around her fingertips, curling down her wrist. The glow shoots from her hand and into the steward’s throat. He begins to speak, voice amplified by Handong’s magic, and the crowd immediately grows silent.

“Denizens of the Ethereal Plane and members of the Pantheon, the declaration proceedings for would-be-suitors of Lee Handong, Goddess of Magic and Princess of the Ethereal Plane, is about to begin. When your name is called, approach the dais, and make your declaration and offerings. Princess Handong will then either accept or refuse you. If you are refused, you are asked to either leave or to join the spectators.”

“Anyone unwilling to comply with Princess Handong’s refusal will be dealt with accordingly.” The steward punctuates his final statement with a glower, aimed at some of the larger participants, who, for some reason, have arrived in full battle armour and are carrying enormous weapons.

They grumble and shift slightly under the attention, but quickly quiet down once the steward raises the list of names.

“Jo Yongeun, Master of Fire.”

A tall, handsome man with flames weaving through his suit and sparks running through his hair approaches Handong’s throne. As he does, Handong’s father, King of the Eternal Plane appears behind the throne and a shocked gasp ripples through the room. He steps to the right of Handong’s throne and stands in place, watching Yongeun falter with a deep chuckle.

Handong’s expression doesn’t change; her father has always shown up to events fashionably late, especially ones that take place in his own castle.

Once Yongeun has sufficiently recovered, he continues towards Handong, and makes his declaration. Yubin’s at the back of the room, so she can’t quite make out the whole thing, but she gathers that the gist of it involves a long list of his accolades and an offer of a portion of land in the Fire Domain.

“I refuse.” Yongeun has barely finished speaking before Handong dismisses him, voice cool. She’s not even looking at him.

Yubin may not have heard the Master of Fire’s declaration, but Handong has enchanted her voice and the rejection is perfectly audible. Yongeun is indignant, sputtering in his shock, but quickly makes his way into the audience when Handong raises a perfectly arched brow at him, eyes glowing green.

“Kim Jongin, King of Spiders,” the steward calls, and Yubin can’t help but shiver as the next figure in line approaches the throne, eight eyes burning red around his skull.

Unfazed, Handong refuses the declaration, and Yubin breathes a little easier.

As the line begins to shrink and move forward, Yubin begins to hear the declarations, and her eyes widen in shock at the wealth and land Handong is being offered. Some of the suitors have brought offerings of gold and jewels, goblets dripping with diamonds and crowns embedded with lapis lazuli. They’ve brought beautifully forged weapons, deeds of land written in calligraphic script, and even magically enforced suits of armour.

They punctuate their declarations with bursts of power in an attempt to impress Handong with their magic and control over their Domains.

Every single suitor has been offering Handong more wealth than Yubin could have imagined one being could possess; jewels and land and castles and servants and power worthy of not only a goddess, but of the Princess of the Ethereal Plane. Somehow, for some reason, Handong is refusing them all, despite her father’s very visible displeasure growing stronger and stronger with each refusal.

_Is she… she can’t be waiting for me, can she? I have nothing compared to them, just dreams and a small castle in the stars. I’m not worthy._

Yubin slips her hand into her pocket, gripping the two letters inside for comfort. One is her and Handong’s latest correspondence, and the other is the written declaration she had stayed up all night writing and perfecting.

_I hope it’s enough._

Yubin’s nerves increase with each refusal, heart racing as the tiny flame of hope fans and grows in her chest.

Time slows to a crawl as Yubin’s turn draws near, her breath comes faster and faster, and she clenches her fists, trying to stay in control.

_I can do this._

Shoulders relaxing slightly, Yubin watches as the suitor in front of her, announced as the Master of Greed, approaches the throne and makes his declaration, voice pompous and bleeding self-entitlement.

Handong tilts her head back, eyes half-lidded and glinting with disdain. Her voice _drips _with arrogance as she refuses him, and a shock of heat bursts through Yubin at the sound of it. She can’t help it, but the flush burning at her cheeks and the tips of her ears and the rapid increase of her heart-rate has nothing to do with her nervousness.

He begins to protest, angrily and loudly, and strides forward, arm raised. The steward steps towards them with a shout, but Handong waves him away. She leans forward, eyes glittering cruelly, and she doesn’t even deign to acknowledge his utter lack of respect before the glow in her eyes flashes so bright, Yubin nearly has to look away, and the Master of Greed is incinerated into nothing.

And then there’s white noise ringing in Yubin’s ears as she recovers from her shock, pride blooming in her chest as she looks up at Handong, her view unobstructed for the first time in nearly a year. Warmth floods her chest as Handong looks back at her, a barely-there touch of fondness in her gaze.

Yubin barely hears the disgruntled steward call her name, and she approaches Handong’s throne in a daze, never taking her eyes off Handong’s face. She steps up to the throne and stops at the edge of the dais.

_It’s been so long_.

Handong blinks, one eyelid moving just a little slower than the other, and if Yubin hadn’t been staring so hard, she would have missed it.

_Did she just _wink_ at me?_

A small smile curling her lips, Yubin gives Handong an elegant bow, maintaining eye contact. She won’t have anyone say that the Prince of Dreams isn’t a gentlewoman. Yubin clears her throat quietly and reaches into her pocket, pulling out the letter she had stayed up all night writing.

“I am the Prince of Dreams,” Yubin’s voice comes out loud and confident thanks to Handong’s hidden encouragement. She is where she’s meant to be. “This is my declaration.”

Yubin holds out the letter to Handong with two hands, looking up at her through her lashes. Handong leans forward and accepts the paper with both hands, eyebrows raised in surprise. As she does, she brushes Yubin’s fingertips with her own, eyes softening as she looks at her.

To Yubin’s astonishment, there’s a barely noticeable flush to her cheeks, and Yubin’s heart flutters. Handong leans back in her throne and unfolds the letter. Heart in her throat, Yubin watches as Handong reads, searching her face for any sign of what she’s thinking. There is none.

It takes a minute or two, but Handong finally lowers the letter and looks up at Yubin, eyes wide. Her cold mask has cracked, her lips parted, eyes swimming with emotion and scattering light. Handong inhales softly.

“I accept.” Handong’s voice is hushed and shaky, the letter trembling in her hands.

_Oh, my God._

Elation bursts down Yubin’s spine, filling her lungs and she smiles widely, shoulders slumping with relief. Handong smiles then, returning Yubin’s grin and it’s like all the stars in the sky suddenly came to life at once.

Handong rises from her throne and throws herself into Yubin’s arms, the letter still clutched in one hand. Yubin returns Handong’s desperate embrace, and as she does, Handong whisks them away, teleporting them to a set of chambers elsewhere in the palace.

Yubin stumbles slightly, but Handong is there to steady her. Handong looks at her, eyes filled with wonder and tenderness, sparkling like they’re made of pure stardust and Yubin meets her gaze, breathless. She leans her forehead against Handong’s, soaking in her presence. Her cheeks are red and her heart is racing and she can scarcely believe all of this is real.

A small smile touches Handong’s lips as her hand reaches up to brush Yubin’s short hair away from her face. She strokes her cheek and Yubin’s breath hitches in her throat.

“You –“ Handong’s voice breaks off, cracked and raw with emotion. “_Thank you_.”

A tear slips down Handong’s cheek, and Yubin brushes it away, cupping her jaw with a shaky hand. Yubin can barely breathe past the emotion lighting up her chest. It’s like what the humans in the dreams she’s witnessed feel, but everything is _finally_ her own.

Yubin can’t hold back any longer; Handong is looking at her like she put the stars in the sky, and after so long of barely even being able to see her in person, she’s filled with inexplicable desire to _touch_, to find out what Handong’s pink lips feel like against hers, and how satiny and smooth her skin really is.

Following her instincts, Yubin closes the distance between her and Handong and shyly presses her lips to hers, gently stroking Handong’s cheekbone with her thumb, and it’s like she’s back home amongst the stars.

The warmth and softness of Handong moving her lips against hers lights her up inside like a supernova spreading through her veins and she gasps against Handong’s mouth. She wraps her arms around Yubin’s waist, drawing her closer, and the letter crinkles in her hand as she does.

_The letter._

The last few sentences of her declaration to Handong run through her mind, and the elation making her limbs weightless and her heart expand doubles in its intensity. Yubin deepens the kiss, pulling Handong even closer to her, reveling in her soft warmth.

_I have to be dreaming._

But she’s not. Despite the fact that dreams have been her solace and only company for as long as she can remember, the Prince of Dreams has never been happier to be awake.

**~ * ~ * ~ * ~**

_“How does a prince of dreams prove herself worthy to court a goddess of magic? I don’t have wealth or land or endless reservoirs of power, but, well, I’ve sent you recollections of hundreds and hundreds of dreams that I’ve seen, and I still have one dream left to share with you._

_My own._

_And it’s you.”_

**Author's Note:**

> If you're interested in updates about the remaining gay demon spooky szn fics and Masquerade, or any of my future planned fics, or if you just wanna scream about gaycatcher, feel free to follow me on twitter @twiceasbriight!


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